Nightmares
by elojello10
Summary: Miles Edgeworth has never looked to someone to help him with his real problems. Usually, he keeps to himself about said things. That is.. Until a memory once again haunts his mind. There is really no one else to turn to... except for a certain defense attorney.
1. The Beginning of It All

**AN: **I have written Phoenix/Edgeworth in the past but I was never satisfied with the results. So I'm testing myself with a flow of a story and seeing just how well I can get through this. There is a possibility I might not like it, but oh well. Please, enjoy!

_**PW: AA does not belong to me. All (w)rights go respectfully to Capcom! This fic is all I own.**_

* * *

_It started out in darkness._

_He couldn't see a thing. There were two other people there. One he knew well and the other he had just met. There was an odd familiarity to this atmosphere... Something he never wanted to go back to. _

_But here he was, trapped in the darkness of his past._

_He could hear shuffling across from him and voices that he couldn't make out because the air was so thin, his brain could not focus. He couldn't do anything productive in such a situation, and suddenly he felt useless. He was troubled, and that's when he began to panic. As he opened his mouth to speak, no sound was able to escape. He tried and tried and tried, and still his attempts to make his voice surface failed. _

_There had to be something... As he felt around his feet, his fingertips happened to brush something smooth and cold. Wrapping his trembling fingers around it and picking it up from where it lay, he had come to find the object quite heavy for its size. He could hardly hold it, and it didn't help that his hands were shaking so hard as it was. _

_Suddenly, he became aware of just what this said object was, and he was frightened. _

_'Not again!' he thought, nearly dropping it. The next thing to come was undoubtedly inevitable, and he could feel tears rolling down the sides of his cheeks. The shuffling and muffled voices loud in his ears, his hands lifted themselves with the object weighing heavy in them. Despite his consistent inward protests, his hands decided they had a mind of their own. _

_With that, he chucked the object across the room._

_That's when it happened._

_A loud bang and a flash._

_And a piercing scream._

_And then... Nothing._

* * *

Edgeworth gasped, sitting up suddenly in his bed. His breathing was uneven and sweat poured from his forehead, his bangs plastered to his forehead and messy. Mixed in the sweat seemed to be tears, the man wiping furiously at his eyes. He was frightened, sad and alert... But most of all, he was confused.

How long had it been since he had that unpleasant dream?

No, it wasn't a dream.

It was a _nightmare._

But why now? After so many years... The nightmare had returned to him, even though he knew the truth behind it. He knew he hadn't killed his father, but it reappeared unexpectedly without much of a warning. To make matters worse, the tears would not stop falling; Miles Edgeworth didn't cry. This was all very confusing and it wracked at his brain to the point where he began to develop a migraine. And suddenly, he was annoyed.

Rubbing at his eyes and forehead, he grunted, pushing back the covers of his bed and swinging his feet over the side. He needed to distract himself, and his throat was dry. Quickly glancing at his alarm clock on the nightstand by his bed, a frustrated sigh left the prosecutor's lips.

"Three in the morning," he grumbled, pushing himself up on his feet. "How wonderful." Sarcasm dripped thickly from his words, making his way into his bathroom and quickly splashing his face with water. As he was doing so, he couldn't help but look back at his reflection. Grimacing, he took measures to take a closer inspection, and he regretted it. He looked horrible. His eyes were puffy, red, and bloodshot with bags underneath to match, and his cheeks were streaked with tear trails. His usually perfect hair was a tangled, wet mess. Disgusted, he quickly wiped his face with a hand towel and left the scene, making his way toward the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water. After standing in his kitchen in silence with the thought of the nightmare weighing on his mind, he sighed inwardly and set the third-way filled glass of water down in frustration.

He breathed, "Why the hell did that awful dream plague my mind once more? I... I don't understand. It was so long ago. Why would it..?"

When the answer didn't present itself soon enough, the prosecutor began to panic slightly. When his logic began to fail him, he knew this wasn't good in the least. And he began to think that maybe he needed to let someone hear about this. A list of people ran through his mind. He couldn't call Detective Gumshoe, he'd be too much of a handful to let him in on this "nightmare" business, and Larry was as good as useless. Franziska would only laugh and say something along the lines of "My little brother_? Nightmares_? Ha! Such a pitiful and foolish thing! You'll get over it. We aren't kids anymore, after all. Now, think before calling me about such petty things. I am a busy woman, after all" and that would more than likely leave him off worse than before.

Just as he was going to think he ran out of ideas of whom to turn to, one last person flashed before him in his mind. He was silent, staring off in disbelief of what he just suggested to himself.

_Never in a million years would I think of calling HIM._

But just as soon as he thought it, he took back his own words. The man really was there for him when he needed him, and he understood him the most. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. And just then, Edgeworth had made up his mind.

Retrieving his cellphone from its charger, he quickly swiped through his contacts until his finger hung over a familiar name highlighted on the screen. Right then, he hesitated.

_It's three o'clock in the morning,_ he thought to himself, sighing. _I doubt he's even awake. He probably wouldn't even dare to answer, or rather so much as to look at the cellphone itself. This was undoubtedly a mistake– _

Before he could even finish his own thought, his finger had subconsciously pressed the dial button, bringing up the familiar call screen. His eyes widened. It was too late; he had to speak with him now.

Slowly putting the phone up to his ear, he waited patiently. It rang a total of five times before someone picked it up, a drowsy voice following a large amount of unnecessary static.

"H-Hello?" the other man blurted, trying to sound awake.

Edgeworth was silent a moment, trying to find the correct words to speak. "...Wright." His voice accidentally cracked and he mentally cursed himself, hoping he hadn't noticed.

The one opposite of the line went dead silent. _Dammit, he noticed..._

It was a little while before he spoke again, and Edgeworth almost considered hanging up.

"Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked, obviously confused. "Why did.. Are.. Are you okay?"

"...I..." _Calm yourself, Miles. Don't lose it. Just tell him._ "Wright. They're... They're back."

A soft rustle on the other line. "What? What are you talking about?" There was general concern in his voice. "Edgeworth is everything okay?"

Oh, no. He started to shake. He couldn't speak, his voice was drying up. _Do it, you fool! Say it!_

"...Everything is... is..." _Is not okay. Please..._

It was tearing him apart. He couldn't say it, and without noticing, a small sob sounded into the phone, catching the defense attorney off guard. That was enough to tell him that Edgeworth was in trouble, and he _needed_ him.

"...Understood," Phoenix replied softly. "I'll be right there."

* * *

**AN: **Well.. That could have turned out better. I don't particularly like it. I loved writing it at the beginning but it all descended from there. Sorry if it doesn't make sense or they don't sound like themselves at all. This is my first TRUE Ace Attorney fanfic and I wasn't expecting anything AMAZING to come from it. If you guys end up liking it, I might just consider continuing it. In the mean time, please read, enjoy, and review! :)


	2. In Need of a Friend

Phoenix wasn't expecting such a call at this time in the morning. Especially not from the said proud Miles Edgeworth. No matter, he had to hurry. That voice... he had heard that desperate voice only once before.

During that one case some time ago. A very painful case in fact.

Letting out a soft sigh, he dressed himself kind of sloppily and threw on a jacket, just running two hands through his hair to smooth it down. Checking his cellphone to see if anything had popped up, he quickly slipped it into his pants pocket and swiftly made for the living room of his apartment. Aware that Maya was currently preoccupying the guest bedroom, he made sure he was discrete and fairly silent. He knew that leaving unexpectedly would upset the young spirit medium, but he had hoped that she would be understanding of the situation once it was explained to her.

Phoenix put a hand to the doorknob and slowly opened the front door, taking one last glance at the still and dark living room, and then exited and shut the door behind him. The descent of the elevator felt unbelievably slow and he began to grow frustrated. _Can this thing go any slower? Jeez..._

Once he was out, he was practically running. He decided he didn't want to waste time waiting for any transportation, so he ran he ran the whole way, despite it being a bit far.

Breathless and sweating, he finally reached Edgeworth's apartment after a good fifteen or twenty minutes.

And suddenly he was nervous. He was worried, but he was more anxious and nervous than anything. Gulping down the sudden closure and dryness of his throat, he continued on in the apartment, sprinting up the stairs and toward the prosecutor's said door.

Standing right in front of it, he took his time to admire the frame of it.

And with two simple knocks, the defense attorney's heart began to race.

What he came to see when the door opened made his heart sink.

* * *

Edgeworth slowly pulled the door open and found his gaze settled with the one he had spoke on the phone with not too long ago. He really didn't want to see this man, but he was in no state to refuse his help. He was really the only one who could be of much help. As he stared at Phoenix in silence, he could tell he was quite surprised to see him in such a state. That made Edgeworth chuckle a bit and he sank back into the apartment slightly, his grip on the door tightening. The silence began to itch at his patience, therefore speaking first.

He coughed slightly. "H-hello Wright."

Phoenix's response was a bit delayed. "...Oh uh, h-hey." As if to lighten up the mood, he smiled the goofiest of smiles. "I'm uh.. I'm here."

"I can see that." Edgeworth moved so that Phoenix could pass him. "You may come in."

He hesitated a moment before nodding and stepping into the room and gazing in awe upon the luxuries of it. The prosecutor moved to close the door when he heard Phoenix gasp and begin to inspect every little trinket on the shelves as if he had never seen such things. Edgeworth sighed. _He's making it plainly obvious how uncomfortable he is. Maybe I shouldn't have called him up and just dealt with this myself. How foolish of me._

In that instant, Phoenix turned toward Edgeworth, his gaze hard and serious. It brought a blush to his pale cheeks and he didn't meet his eyes.

"Edgeworth," he began softly, going to sit on the closest thing to him which was a sofa and patted the spot next to him, "I noticed that you don't look too well. That phone call... What's bothering you? What's back?"

Silently making his way over to the seat next to Phoenix, he rubbed at his temples and sighed. How was he going to explain this to him without it seeming so childish? When he didn't say anything, Phoenix spoke up once more.

He added, "Does it have something to do with... your uh.. your dad?"

Immediately, the prosecutor stiffened. He knew without even telling him. Lifting his gaze to those eager blue irises, he stared into them, finding his stare oddly comforting. Nodding slowly, he broke the eye contact and leaned forward, setting his head in the palms of his hands. _I can't do this. Not with him. Please, just forget everything. Just go away..._

Phoenix furrowed his brow. Seeing his friend like this pained him. He felt even worse when he noticed he wasn't exactly helping him. Balling his hands into fists, he tried to think this through. What he should and shouldn't say, what actions he should take, how to comfort him... Over and over, the thoughts raced around in his brain. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his hands to relax in a more natural position. _C'mon, Phoenix. You can do it. Just say... Nice things! Yeah! No, wait... That won't be enough. AGH._ Edgeworth noticed the distraught and frustration of the defense, and he spoke low but made sure no emotion had shone through. "Wright, it's fine. You aren't obligated to stay here. If it is too much, you may take your leave. I am not that in need for... company, though I appreciate it nonetheless."

Startled, Phoenix blinked. He shook his head. _There he goes. He's already in the stage of concealing his true feelings. This is going nowhere fast. _He thought to himself, the crease in his brow deepening. _Not this time, Miles. I'm going to be here through it all. I, Phoenix Wright, will aid you!_

"Objection," he responded calmly, facing him. "I will do no such thing, Edgeworth. You can tell me stuff, you know that right? You needed help, so here I am." When Edgeworth looked up at him, he found him smiling.

Blushing with widened eyes, he retorted, "I-I said no such–!"

"You didn't have to. Your body language is pretty easy to read."

"What...?" _He must mean when I began to lose control of my calmness. Pathetic. I suppose I have no choice but to tell him. _He tried to focus on his face a little longer until his vision began to blur and he was forced to look away once more. With a shaky sigh, he ran a hand through his damp hair.

And suddenly, Phoenix felt pity. And he felt... bad. This felt close to that of a police interrogation, and he was forcing an answer from Edgeworth. Just as he was going to take back his statement, Edgeworth held up a single hand and sat up straight, looking straight ahead of him.

He began, "No. I will tell you. Promise me that you will not laugh."

"Laugh?" questioned Phoenix immediately. "Why would I laugh? Do you really take me that lightly?"

Edgeworth ignored him and continued, "I... I called you right after I had been woken up abruptly. I was confused and short of breath. Something revisited me... Something I once said farewell to– both of us had said farewell to. It's been some years since I had left the past as my past."

Phoenix's eyes widened. "You don't mean–!"

The prosecutor nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. "They have returned," -he turned toward the defense attorney on the couch and wore an obvious pained expression- "my nightmares, Wright. They have returned without any reason at all." Phoenix's eyes widened. He knew the pain and suffering those dreams brought him, and he could see it as he wore it plain as day on his face. It was worse than he thought. Searching his eyes a moment, his hands twitched and hovered over his knees. Without much thought, he found himself reaching out and pulling him into a tight embrace. At first, Edgeworth, having been startled, struggled in his grasp, but he eventually gave up. His face blazing red, he grasped the elbows of Phoenix's jacket awkwardly, glad for this sudden but inviting comfort. Even Phoenix was surprised at what just happened, burying his face into Edgeworth's shoulder. After about a minute or so of silence, the defense was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry that something like that has come back to haunt you," he whispered faintly, squeezing him lightly.

Edgeworth, embarrassed, mumbled back, "It's quite alright. B-By the way, you may let me go now, Wright. I appreciate the comfort but–"

"No."

"...E-Excuse me?"

Phoenix didn't reply for a moment. "...Just... Just let me hold you, Miles. I want to help you. Please don't push me away."

Edgeworth was stunned into uncomfortable silence. He swore that his face was on fire.

_What is this idiot saying!? He must be tired. That or just insane!_

He struggled lightly. "Wright, please. I think I am fine now. Just–"

"Let me make sure your nightmares don't come back. I'll be here." Phoenix pulled back a bit to look into his eyes, smiling softly. "Let me help you, Miles. That's what friends are for, right? I'll watch over you."

Edgeworth stared at him a moment and sighed, the closeness being a bit much for him. Deciding that he couldn't win over him in such a state, he agreed to let him stay.

"But only this once, Wright. And you will _never_ speak of this to anyone."

"Of course." He replied genuinely, a smile plastered on his lips. "My lips are sealed."

Edgeworth narrowed his eyes. In all honesty, he didn't have a single strand of trust for Phoenix, but he had no other choice. They stood up from the couch and followed suit to his bedroom. Reluctant to sleep next to the defense attorney, he was hesitant to follow him into the bed despite his gestures.

"I.. I can't do this.." murmured Edgeworth, squeezing his right arm.

"Don't think anything of it, Miles," reassured Phoenix smoothly.

"That's entirely impossible!"

"Heh, alright. It is a little awkward, but I'm sure you'll get over it. Now get over here!"

In one quick motion, he grabbed a hold of his wrist and pulled him down. A quick curse from Edgeworth made him laugh a bit loudly. Grumbling, the prosecutor growled at him, pushing him away.

"Stay on your side, Wright."

"I'll try. No promises."

"Do not make me kick you off the bed."

Settling in, Phoenix propped himself up on a single elbow and watched Edgeworth as he began to slip back into dreamland. Admiring his features, although barely able to his face, he smiled and pushed the strands of hair from his face. He was glad he was able to help him. Going from the distressed prosecutor from earlier to the now calm and silently sleeping one was amazing. Being the good friend, he offered to stay up to watch over the man, which was going to prove being hard for Phoenix was a man who enjoyed sleep just as much as the next person.

_Oh, well_, he thought, letting out a soft sigh. _I'd rather lose sleep than let Miles be in pain. I vowed to protect and save him, after all._ His eyes roamed the other man's face. He had never seen him like this, and he had to admit that it was pretty awkward but worth it.

Making sure that Edgeworth was in fact sleeping away, he decided to rise out the bed and cover him properly. Yawning, he started to think of ways to keep himself awake.

First, he checked his phone. He'd have to send a text to Maya to alert her of his disappearance. Of course, he'd do so later. Second, maybe a little TV was in order, to keep his brain busy figuring out what the hell he was watching. Or maybe.. Maybe he could just explore the apartment.

Yeah. He was more than likely to do the last one.

Moving out of Edgeworth's bedroom, Phoenix, not having really noticed before, came to realize there was a lot of Steel Samurai merchandise throughout the apartment. It made him chuckle a little. Surely, Edgeworth denied ever liking the series, but his apartment said otherwise. _A clear contradiction on his part. I'll have to call him out on it next time._

He roamed the several rooms there and he began to think it was more than an apartment. "Jeez!" he said through gritted teeth. "Edgeworth's apartment is HUGE! He sure does have money to burn... It really says a lot about his personality, too." Just as his comment to himself left his mouth, he spotted a small book not too well hidden out of the corner of his eye. His curiosity getting the better of him, he bolted for it and snatched it up. Turning it over in his hands, he admired the intricate design of the cover, the color a soft brown with what looked like engraved vines of some sort. Before he knew it, he was opening the book and his eyes fell on big, intricate blood red letters that rested on the first page:

"_The Journal of Miles Edgeworth."_

His eyes widened. Of course, he just _happened_ to stumble upon the very private journal of the very proud Miles Edgeworth. But it was in such an obvious place...

_A coincidence? Or maybe... _His eyes floated back to the door of Edgeworth's bedroom. He could read just a little bit of this, right? It wouldn't hurt to take a peek. Besides, Edgeworth wouldn't find out. He could keep quiet.

With that, the defense attorney took the opportunity to sit and flip the page.

What he came to read was something he never would have guessed or had expected.

* * *

_My name is Miles Edgeworth, and I decided that I very much needed a journal. I never thought I would come to realize that I needed such a thing, but I was told that writing everything down was far better than speaking with another. Truth be told, that statement was surely correct. Now I haven't come to babble, but I want to get things straight with a certain... __**feeling**__I have had that will not leave me no matter what I do. The one I blame? The one and only Phoenix Wright. Oh how I loathe him... Curse you, Wright. I have kept every letter he has ever sent to me, careful not to reply back for I feel as if I am leading him on. It does not help that he even took measures to become a defense attorney, which was surely influenced by me, and I have to see him every day. Is it not normal that I want to physically punch the man in the face every time I see him? This feeling in my chest grows stronger, and I fear that I might explode from such a thing. This is __**his**__fault. I shouldn't have to worry about this sort of thing, being a prosecutor and all; it would surely get in the way of my work. But when push comes to shove, I cannot help it. I dare say that I am attracted to him, for which I am disturbed to find out. I am unfortunately in love with Phoenix Wright. _

_Until another day, another rant, journal. I see you off. _

* * *

**AN:** Ah! A turn of events! Just kidding... I really have no idea where I'm going with this. ;-; I hope I can get this thing on SOME sort of track... I have something in mind for the next chapter, if I'm up for it myself, that is. This was rushed a bit so... This is definitely not my best work. I kind of like it though. That's a plus, I suppose. Well, here you go! I hope you enjoyed reading it and all. Please, drop me a PM or put up a review! I appreciate each and every one of them. Even if I do not respond, know that I read the reviews and it makes me **VERY** happy! You guys are inspiring me to write and carry on! I cannot thank you enough for all the support! 3


	3. Courage Pt 1

"Nick let's go out for burgers!" a hungry Maya exclaimed, earning a sigh from Phoenix.

"Maya, why don't you eat something else for a change?" was his reply, yawning. "Burgers aren't everything, you know. Now noodles, that's where it's at."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. "Noodles are boring, Nick! _You're_ boring!"

His eye twitched. "Hold it!" he protested, listening to Maya giggling. That was obviously a blow to his pride and ego. "I am not boring! You take that back!"

"Never in a million years!" She laughed, though she stopped when she caught a glimpse of Phoenix's scathing glare. She settled with a small, teasing smile. "Oh, whatever. Don't get so butt-hurt! You know I'm kidding!" Nudging him, he grunted, but he couldn't help but smile. They stood like that for a while, just smiling at each other until one of them stretched and yawned. It was Maya. She walked past Phoenix in the kitchen (where they were having a pleasant conversation until Maya blurted something about burgers) and toward the fridge, pulling out some orange juice.

"So..." she began, pouring herself a cup. "How is Edgeworth doing?"

Phoenix froze, wincing at the mention of the prosecutor. Truth was, he hadn't spoken to him since that night (and that was what, a few nights ago?).

It was extremely awkward once he bid him farewell, knowing what he had stumbled across while Edgeworth was sleeping. He regretted reading that thing, dropping it in shock once he read that first passage. But the feeling of confusion and uncertainty filled his body then, and he was more worried for Edgeworth than he was before. Surely it was a joke, right? Not a very funny one, at that. But if it were true, that would mean...

"Nick?" Maya questioned, peering up at his face.

Phoenix blinked. "H-huh?" He must have blanked out.

She furrowed her brow. "Nick, were you even listening?"

He was silent a moment. "...Uh...Y-yes?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. She repeated herself, "I asked about Edgeworth. How is he doing? Is he okay? You're his friend, aren't you?"

_Whoa, Maya. Too many questions. Give me a chance to answer at least one first!_

He ran a hand through his hair, not meeting her eyes. "Uh.. I think so? I mean... I haven't heard much from him. I guess that's a good thing."

She stared at him in silence. Once she didn't reply, he fixated his eyes on her, raising an eyebrow. He found her looking back at him kind of sadly, gripping the fabric of her sleeves a bit tightly and pouting ever so slightly. And suddenly, he was _very_ confused. _Did... Did I _miss_ something?_ He mused, blinking. _Why is she looking at me like that–_

Suddenly, she left the room. Alerted, Phoenix's eyebrows shot up and his instinct was to follow her. But he found that she had stopped, flipping her cellphone out and dialing a number, and he had almost ran into the back of her. Curious, he peered over her shoulder. "Who are you calling?" he asked. She looked back at him over her shoulder. A small smile played on her lips as she placed the phone against her ear. "Edgeworth."

Phoenix's trigger senses suddenly all flared up at once and his face glowed a soft pink.

"WH-WHAAAT!?" he shouted, suddenly reaching out for the phone. Luckily, Maya's quick reflexes had him miss miserably. "W-why are you calling him!? Maya!"

"Because you're too dumb to call him yourself! You haven't checked on him since that night! Maybe you hurt his feelings–"

A suddenly clear of the throat on the other line brought her shouting to a halt.

"...Oh crap. H-hello Mr. Edgeworth!" she stuttered, smiling foolishly as if he could see. Phoenix fell silent.

"Maya," he replied, appearing calm and collected. "Hello. What business do you have with me today?"

"Oh, nothing." She stuck her tongue out at Phoenix, the latter leaning over her and trying to listen to the conversation. "Since Nick was too chicken to even check up on you, I'm doing it. How are you doing?" Satisfied with the man's glare, she gave off a small chuckle.

Thinking over her words a bit, Edgeworth was silent. There was a soft noise of what sounded like papers flipping and turning under his fingertips. Finally able to come up with a response, he said dryly, "I'm quite fine, thank you. Unfortunately, though, I have work to attend to. I don't have much time for small talk. You do understand that, yes? I appreciate the "check up" and all, but if you have nothing else to say, I must–"

"No wait! Mr. Edgeworth, come eat out with us!"

"What? Maya! He doesn't want to eat with us! Gimme the phone!" Phoenix interfered, still trying to steal the phone away from the spirit medium. She easily evaded him.

"Awe, Nick! You're red!"

"Wha... Seriously, Maya!"

Listening to the struggle and shuffle over the line, Edgeworth let the idea roll over in his mind. Thinking a moment, he let out a soft sigh. Nodding to himself, he replied, "I will see if I can get some time off. That doesn't sound like too bad of an idea. Do you have any idea of where to eat?"

Maya, a bit stunned, stared at Phoenix in shock. Did he just _agree_ to eating out with them?

Maya hummed a tune before getting back to answering him. "The burger joint downtown. You like burgers, right Mr. Edgeworth?"

"...Not particularly." He leaned back in his chair, it creaking ever so softly underneath him.

"Awe, really? Dang it. Um, alright... How about that cafe? I think it's somewhere near the Prosecutor's Office?"

"Ah, yes. I know what you are referring to. I am a big fan of their tea."

Maya held her face away from the phone, whispering to Phoenix, "Tea? Is that all he cares about?"

He shrugged. "Most of the time, I suppose."

"That's kind of... lame."

"Ahem. I can still hear you two," blurted the prosecutor, a bit annoyed. Maya and Phoenix exchanged glances and couldn't help but snicker. An obvious sigh was heard on the other line.

"Alright, alright," Maya added, beaming. "The cafe, then! Oh, and call Nick once you find out when you're free. I hope it's soon. Like, _tonight_ soon!" Phoenix gave her a look that said '_why me!?_' and she ignored it, waiting for a response. When Edgeworth didn't speak for a while, her brow knitted to form a confused expression.

"Mr. Edgeworth?"

Still no response. She pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the screen and then quickly returned it to her ear. When a deep voice filled her ear, she jumped. "I seem to have free time tonight. Tell Wright not to expect a call, seeming as I am informing you this instant." Glancing at Phoenix, he nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Alright," she told him, smiling. "I guess we'll see you tonight then... Around um.. Oh! 7 or so?"

"I don't see why not," he muttered, seeming bored. "Now, if this is all established, may I–"

"Edgeworth," Phoenix breathed into the phone. He managed to steal it away from Maya (_finally_).

The prosecutor jumped and froze at the sound of his voice directly in his ear. He could feel a small blush creep onto his features. He waited for the defense attorney to continue with something else, but he failed to do so.

"Wright," he said back, trying to stay calm. His mind began to think of that certain physical contact he had with Phoenix the night of his nightmare, and he began to grow nervous. Fortunately, he masked it pretty well. "What is the meaning of this? What do you have to add? I have important paperwork to attend to."

"I know," he said softly, all the while fending off a furious Maya. "I just wanted you to know that despite what Maya said, you don't really have to come if you don't want to. I mean, it must be awkward, right?"

"...What? What on earth are you babbling about, Wright?"

His eyes widened. What is he saying? He almost blew it!

"Uh.. um.. er.. N-never mind! Just... forget I said that. Anyway, it's your choice. I'm just saying don't let Maya pressure you into this." He looked right at her as she gasped at what he said, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at him. He gave her an apologetic smile.

Confused, Edgeworth was at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth several times, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. _What is Wright's problem? Did something happen? Does he not want to see me?_

"I," the prosecutor spoke up, "will come on my own accord, mind you. I could use a break from my work. Stop your mindless "advice", or whatever it is. Now I really must go. Goodbye, Wright."

And with that, Miles Edgeworth hung up. Taking the phone from his ear, he looked down at the phone in his hand, the screen's light bright, and frowned. This was going to be one hell of a night. He held the phone out to the one in front of him and she snatched it away with a simple "hmph!".

_Count on Maya to do things like this. How am I supposed to face him now!?_

* * *

**AN: **Hm. This chapter was a little.. dull. I suppose you could call this a double-parted chapter or whatever, since it leads into the next part, _which will be so much better. I PROMISE. _;A; GOSH. Anyway, I was motivated to write this by little sweeties leaving those nice reviews. I literally squeal every time I read them. It makes me feel really good inside. ;7; Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this! As I go along, I slowly am enjoying writing this story more and more, and plus, this is my first multi-chapter fic! WOO-HOO! :D So far so good! So, review, favorite, follow, read, WHATEVER IS YOU DO, but most of all, I hope you get a kick out of this!

By the by, I will try to update daily, but seeing as I will be very busy soon, it will be a wee bit difficult. So long, fellow **AA** fans! *salutes*


	4. Courage Pt 2

**AN:** I have to admit it, I had a LOT of fun writing this chapter. I couldn't stop smiling as I wrote it. This is by far my FAVORITE chapter. It's also.. the longest chapter. I honestly didn't notice how much I wrote. When I was done, I literally shouted "WOW!". My bad, my Chords of Steel got a little out of hand.. *cough* So, anyway, please enjoy this chapter! I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. I didn't really look through it much to fix any. It's just.. HNNGH. CUTENESS OVERLOAD. With a little feels...

* * *

_6:50 P.M.. I'm a bit early. But knowing Wright and Maya, they will arrive a little later than the proposed time. Oh, why did I even agree to this?_

Miles Edgeworth sighed, looking up from the watch he was checking to survey his surroundings. He hadn't entered the cafe just yet, standing right outside the building while occasionally peering inside. There was a fair amount of people occupying some of the tables, and Edgeworth was in no mood to sit alone waiting around for the other two. Though, he did take it into consideration, and would more than likely just preoccupy his time with the current day's newspaper while sitting at a booth in the back. Alas, he decided against it. He would surely stick out as a sore thumb, so he made up his mind to wait outside.

Though even this proved difficult, for it was a bit dark and chilly this particular night.

And he was resisting the temptation to run away. In fact, Miles Edgeworth, although he outright denied it, was very nervous. Of course, why wouldn't he be? He had only eaten out with Phoenix once, and that's when they were surrounded by many "obnoxious friends", or so Edgeworth had categorized them as. This was the first time they weren't really there for a celebration of court, but actually just going out to eat with no real reason at all. Maya Fey seemed persistent enough, though it tugged at Edgeworth's mind when he noticed how... unwilling or against Phoenix was about the idea altogether. Suddenly, he felt annoyed. Finding himself frowning, he ran a hand through his silver gray hair. Staring silent down at his shoes, he found himself lost in thought.

He hadn't even noticed how fast time had passed, or even the fact that two particular people were in competition to grab a hold of his attention.

"..-worth! Hey! Hellooooo! Mr. Edgeworth!" a female voice yelled out, soon breaking him away from his thoughts. His head snapped up in realization and his gaze was met with that of Maya Fey, and moved over to that of Phoenix Wright. He blinked a moment, trying to put two with two. Glancing quickly down at his watch, his eyes widened. _7:05 P.M!? When did that–?_

Phoenix laughed awkwardly. "Man, you okay there Edgeworth? You seem kind of out of it." He was avoiding the prosecutor's gaze, and it was a bit obvious to him that he was doing so. Anyhow, he shrugged it off.

_You're one to talk._ "I'm fine," he retorted, standing straight and dignified, nodding. "I was thinking is all."

Maya frowned slightly. "Awe man," she breathed, feeling a little awful. "We didn't make you wait too long, did we? I told Nick to hurry up, but it was no use. He's so lazy!"

That earned the girl a glare and she just looked off to her left, laughing.

Phoenix was quick to reply. "Says the one who spent forever in the bathroom!"

Maya shrugged her shoulders and snorted, a half smirk dancing on her lips. Phoenix narrowed his eyes.

Edgeworth watched them silently a moment. As their playful argument -if you could call it that- carried on, he felt sort of... jealous. They were a good pair. Noticing this, he tugged at his cravat to look busy and quickly cleared his throat. Finally pulling them from their debate, they stared at him. Knowing they were waiting for him to speak, he faced them with a stern face and with an equally emotionless voice.

"If you don't mind," he told them, pointing to the cafe doors, "I believe we should be in there, not out here."

Phoenix and Maya exchanged glances, silent for a moment. Phoenix gave off a nervous laugh and nodded, walking over to the door. "Oops," he stated, "you're right. Sorry about that." Proceeding to open it, he protruded an arm toward the inside, hinting that the two should enter. Maya didn't jest, walking right on in, but Edgeworth stood there in silence, just staring, before heading on in after the spirit medium. Phoenix took note of this, and he waited for a bit of distance behind Edgeworth before entering himself.

_Oh boy, _Phoenix thought, wiping at his forehead. _This is going to get _really_ awkward really quick._

As soon as the three settled down in a booth, Phoenix sitting next to Maya with Edgeworth across from them, no one spoke. This awkward silence was painful, and Phoenix began to sweat. He just stared at the table, unable to meet the eyes of Edgeworth. Though, even his gaze wandered elsewhere, and that left Maya to look back and forth between the two men. Something fishy was going on here, and that piqued the girl's interest. She gave a small smile.

"So, Mr. Edgeworth," she started, startling both of them. She chuckled inwardly. "How is life at the Prosecutor's Office?" Small conversation. She wanted anything but silence.

"Hm," he replied, his eyes resting on the girl in front of him. He leaned back in his seat in thought, then returned to his stiff sitting position once he had an answer. "As busy as ever. I am presented with cases right and left."

"Really?" she replied, leaning forward and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "That sounds tiring. Nick never has any cases. Well, actually, it's more like he's rejecting every one that is presented and offered to him."

"Is that so?" He glanced at Phoenix, who was tracing the patterns on the table with one of his fingers. He raised an eyebrow, watching him but still directing his conversation at Maya. "Hm. What is the reason behind that?"

Both Maya and Phoenix shrugged. _He's listening but not talking. Strange._

She nudged Phoenix, causing him to jump. "He's just lazy. Like I said earlier! I mean, he was reluctant to even show–"

"Maya." Suddenly she stopped, glancing at Phoenix who was now looking at her. She shivered under his gaze. Then the table fell silent once more. Edgeworth narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the two. Something was definitely wrong. Just as he was going to say something else, the waitress showed at their table. He saw Phoenix release a sigh of relief as they all ordered their drinks, giving her a small smile. Now Edgeworth was suspicious.

As soon as she left them to themselves, he found the tension rise once more, and he stared down Phoenix.

Of course, Phoenix could feel his eyes on him, and he gulped. This wasn't good. He was too obvious. Sighing, he lifted his head and finally met the others eyes head on. They stared at each other for a good minute until Maya spoke, Phoenix's eyes shifting over to her looking at her menu. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed, smiling. "They serve burgers here! It's totally my lucky day. Ha, Nick! You can't get me to eat anything else! I win!" He rolled his eyes and scoffed, but he wore a small smile.

"Win what exactly?" Edgeworth spoke, trying to be a part of the conversation.

"Oh, this thing Nick and I were debating over-"

"I'm trying to get her to eat something other than burgers. Can you believe how many of those she can eat? I mean, look at her!" Phoenix interrupted, using some hand motion to describe what he was saying.

Edgeworth shook his head, raising an eyebrow.

"According to her, she has separate stomachs for everything she eats," he added. Maya puffed.

"Hey! I do!" She began to count off with her fingers. "One for steaks, one for burgers, one for ice cream, one for Samurai Dogs..." She trailed off, tapping a single finger against her chin.

Phoenix and Edgeworth exchanged glances. In unison, they said, "Those horrible hotdogs?" Surprised, they both laughed, the man in the magenta suit's much softer and suppressed. It wasn't his usual mocking laugh either. And in disbelief, the two across from him stared, gaping. Suddenly, Edgeworth's face flushed pink. He quickly coughed into one of his fists, averting his gaze to the table in front of him. Maya started, "Was that just now.. a laugh? From Mr. Edgeworth? Tell me I'm hearing things."

Phoenix shook his head. "No, you heard it alright. I haven't heard that laugh in a long time."

Before Edgeworth could argue on his part, the waitress returned with their drinks. She glanced at Phoenix, smiling the most flirtatious smile she could muster, and it made Edgeworth cringe. He didn't like it one bit. As they all ordered, the prosecutor tried to distract himself. He only noticed he had spaced out when he found Phoenix staring at him. Blinking, his brows furrowed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked dryly. "Is there something on my face, Wright?"

"Huh?" was his response, his cheeks turning a light pink. "Uh... N-no! I just... Sorry. I wasn't- Er... Your ruffly-thingy-ma-bob–"

"It's called a cravat."

"Yeah, that thing. It's just... Why do you wear that? Isn't it sort of like a von Karma thing?"

Edgeworth fell silent and right then Phoenix regretted his pressing questions. The prosecutor gave off a soft sigh, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his hands folded in front of his mouth.

"I don't wear it for that reason," he informed him. "I find it very classy and professional. Why don't you try to wear one some time?" A look of horror crossed over the defense attorney's face and Edgeworth felt the tug of a smirk at his lips. His reaction was most amusing.

"M-me!?" he gasped, slamming a single hand on the table and catching the attention of those sitting at other booths. "I don't think that _thing_ suits me very well, Edgeworth. You can... keep your ruffly thing–"

"Cravat, Wright." He corrected him again, making Phoenix's eye twitch. He continued.

"Whatever. You can keep those things to yourself."

"Hm. I dunno, Nick," Maya cut in, smirking at him. "I think it'd be a bold new look for you! Phoenix Wright: Fancy Attorney!" She bubbled with laughter, Phoenix frowning at her. He held his head in one of his hands. "You've got to be kidding me," he breathed, shaking his head. "I refuse!"

Edgeworth wore a smile, joining in with Maya's persistence. "You won't even try it? I have a spare with me. You can put it on right now."

Phoenix's head shot up, his eyes wide. "You carry more than one WITH you!?"

"Oh, c'mon Nick! Do it! Do it! Do it!" She fist-pumped the air with both of her fists, laughing.

"O-Objection!" Fortunately, he was saved by their sudden arrival of food. After that, everyone was pretty much back to being silent, with the exception of Maya and Edgeworth's small talk about the newest Steel Samurai episode, the prosecutor trying to be a bit discrete with how much he really knows. That made Phoenix chuckle a bit, poking at the food on his plate. _I guess tonight didn't end up too bad. We're actually talking, at least. I'm glad Maya came with me. I don't know what I would have done if we were alone together in this cafe._

He felt a tug at his arm. He looked over to see Maya. "Nick, I need to go to the bathroom. Can you move for a second?"

"Oh, sure," he nodded, standing and allowing her to exit the booth.

"I'll be back in a jiffy!" she told the men, running off toward the bathroom. Not until Maya was gone did Phoenix notice that she left him alone with Edgeworth. Suddenly, the air around them grew tense and awkward. The defense attorney sighed inwardly, mentally kicking himself. _Looks like I spoke too soon._ Once again, he was avoiding looking directly into his eyes.

To his surprise, Edgeworth spoke up, "I've been meaning to ask you, Wright. Your behavior strikes me as peculiar. Is there something bothering you? You've been acting like this all night."

This was what he was trying to avoid, but he knew the question would surface some time. It was inevitable. C'mon, it was Edgeworth for goodness sake. Phoenix shook his head.

_You don't even know the half of it._ "Not that I know of," he told him, shrugging. "I'm just tired, I guess."

"I hardly believe that is the case. There's something you're not telling me. What are you hiding from me, Wright?"

His brow knitted in confusion. Why was he being so pushy about it? Phoenix looked up from his food. He wasn't about to tell him the truth.

"I'm not hiding anything from you."

"I find that hard to believe."  
"Look Edgeworth, I don't know what you're getting at, but I'm pretty sure it's none of your business–"

"Phoenix." His tone now took a softer one, and Phoenix's heart skipped a beat. Did he hear right? Did he just refer to him by his _first name_? He was at a loss for words, and suddenly his stomach flipped and made him feel nauseous. He knew this feeling all too well. _Crap, crap, crap... Where's Maya? If she left us alone like this on purpose, I'm going to kill her! I swear she–_

Suddenly, Phoenix was pulled from his thoughts. He heard Edgeworth sigh sadly. That's right. _Sadly_. That's when he realized. This was really bothering Edgeworth more than he thought it was. He began to relax, having been stiff at the sudden mention of his first name earlier, and watched the other man silently. Maybe he should just tell him. Yeah, that would be good. Just as he was about to speak up, the waitress returned with their check. Not soon after, Maya showed up, watching as the waitress left them.

Strutting over, she announced, "I'm back!" Beaming down at them, her smile faltered slightly at the sight. Confusion washed over her features. As her eyes darted back and forth between Phoenix and Edgeworth, she frowned. Naturally, she was curious. "Um," she breathed, setting her hands on her hips, "what happened? You guys look... Gloomy."

They both panicked and unnaturally put on an act.

Phoenix blurted, "G-gloomy? Ha ha ha... You must be seeing something, Maya!"

"Indeed," Edgeworth agreed. "We were merely conversing on trivial matters, but nothing that would make us look as you claim us to be." _Whoa, Miles. Nice save. _Phoenix nodded, though his thought rang a bit sarcastic.

"Anyhow," he continued, "don't you think it's about time we wrap this up? I pushed back some paperwork to attend this and I really must get going."

"O-oh, right. Alright, just let me get out my wallet–"

"No need. I will pay." Before Phoenix could protest, Edgeworth had already slapped down what looked like several twenties too much. He supposed there was a tip there, too, but still. He frowned.

Maya watched as both men rose from their seats. "Okay," she told them, a worried hand over her mouth. She was wary of their so called testimonies they gave her. She'll have to press Phoenix later for the details. With that, she followed after them as they began to leave the cafe. Edgeworth seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.

Noticing this, Phoenix caught up to him.

"Hey," he called out, catching the prosecutor's attention. He stopped to look at him. Phoenix grew nervous, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Um... C-can we meet up again?"

"Excuse me?" he replied, one eyebrow raised but his face lacked any kind of emotion.

"Uh... I-I mean... Miles, we need to talk."

They stood there in awkward silence, Maya not far behind them. Edgeworth glanced at her. Furrowing his brow now, his eyes searched Phoenix's face for any signs of him joking. He was dead serious.

"Talk? What is it we need to discuss?" he retorted, kind of snooty-like.

Phoenix moved closer, catching his wrist. Edgeworth jumped, glad that it was much too dark for Phoenix to notice his blush.

Phoenix whispered, "Er... I just... Please, I really need to talk to you. Later though. Alone."

"I'll... I'll see what day I am available," Edgeworth replied, a bit worried. He pulled at his wrist. "Wright, you can let go of me."

He looked down, immediately releasing the prosecutor. His face blew up red and he took a step back, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. He mumbled, "S-sorry... But please call me when you find out. This is important. It has to do... with that night."

Now Edgeworth was really worried, but he showed no signs of it. He only nodded. "Of course." And without much else, he briskly walked off, yelling, "I bid you goodnight Wright. Maya. I... Thank you for tonight." Phoenix watched him walk away, a dull aching in his chest.

Maya replaced herself at his side, watching him walk off as well. She turned toward Phoenix, both eyebrows raised. "What was that about?" she asked him, a slight smile on her face. He turned toward her and shrugged.

"I... really don't know," was his reply.

_I'll figure it out soon though. I felt something... familiar with him. Something I thought I had once given up on in my college years. _

"Anyway," Phoenix moved to change the subject, "we better catch the bus or else we'll be stranded here without a ride." She nodded and they began to walk the opposite way Edgeworth had taken. For a while they were silent.

Maya scoffed, "You know Nick, you should really get your license. How old are you now?"

"Excuse _me_," he argued, glaring playfully at her. "I could say the same for you! So don't go pestering me about it!"

They both broke out in laughter, pushing each other lightly as they continued their trek to the bus stop, content in their own little world.


	5. Tell Me

"_My apologies, you've got it all wrong."_

_He was frozen in shock by the other man's mocking laughter. There was no way... He didn't just see things. _

"_No, I'm sure it said my name! You–!"_

"_Quite vain, aren't we?" he retorted, his gaze piercing and cold. "What makes you think I would write such a thing? It's quite possible someone who thinks themselves as humorous planted it there. Such mockery on my part, what with those old rumors of fabricating evidence and all. I pity the fool."_

"_I refuse to believe it!" the other man cried, slamming his hands down on what seemed to possibly be a desk. "I understand that you aren't good with emotions, but I know what I saw, what I read! And in your handwriting too! It's okay. Miles, you don't have to–" _

"_I would never love you, Wright. Not even if you were the last person on this forsaken planet."_

* * *

Phoenix woke with a start. He found himself in an irregular position, and soon realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch. Groaning, he lazily hoisted himself up into a sitting position, and hung his head. Slowly rubbing his face with his hand, he sighed. _What in the _hell_ was that about?_ He mentally cursed himself, now both hands covering his face in shame. _I don't even want to know. Why would I dream up something like that? About Edgeworth, no less... _A long sigh broke the stale, silent air. At this, he dropped his hands to his lap. How was he going to explain _that_ to Edgeworth?

Or maybe... He wasn't going to mention it at all.

And at his brain's mention of Edgeworth, Phoenix turned his head left and right to survey his surroundings. He stood up and stretched, investigating the place for his cellphone. Once found, he took no time to turn on the screen and check it. His shoulders sagged in disappointment at his discovery.

_He still hasn't called me. It's been several days now. Though, I can't blame him. He's probably very busy. Still. I _really_ need to talk to him. _

Taking one last look at his phone, he happened upon the current time. Six in the morning. A little early for Phoenix, but he wasn't in any mood to fall back asleep. Not after that confusing dream. Glancing at the door of the guest room, he was sure Maya was going to wake soon. So, he had no choice but to wait for her to wake up. And with nothing to do, he made his way into the kitchen and helped himself to the only box of cereal sitting in the near empty cabinets.

He had a feeling in his gut that today wasn't going to be a day he very much enjoyed.

* * *

Edgeworth sat silently at his desk in his office. No one really but him was present at the Prosecutor's Office, which was usually the case every day. He was always undoubtedly a morning person, although he didn't much look it, and always the first to arrive to work. Need be, he arrived early to review any case files and evidence so that he would not make a mistake, but on this particular day, there were no said case files nor evidence.

He was free of his job today, but he didn't know exactly what to make of that. So, that led him to arrive in his office without much thought. Sighing sharply, he leaned back in his chair (which was quite informal for Miles Edgeworth) and turned his attention to the ceiling. _What does one do on such a day as this? _

He closed his eyes, deep in thought. When he opened them once more, he found that he was staring at the cellphone that lied on his desk directly in front of him. His lips curved down into a frown.

Scooping the phone up into one of his hands, he mused over what he could do with it. Then it hit him.

_Wright._

He had almost forgotten that he promised the defense attorney that he would give him a call once he was free. A wave of nervousness hit him. Suddenly, he hoped that Phoenix also forgot. Of course, that was impossible. He was as stubborn as the next person, and he was probably waiting by his phone day and night. Edgeworth furrowed his brow in disapproval at this, and he felt a twinge of pity for the man. Maybe even a little sadness, for he was leading him on and teasing him with a long awaited phone call.

Sighing and nodding to himself, he decided to make the proposed phone call. Glancing at the time, he hesitated.

_What if I wake him? This will be the second time. No. Miles, quit this foolishness. You think too hard. Just call the man. _Trying to win the argument within himself, his finger went ahead and made the choice for him; pretty soon, his phone was dialing the number of Phoenix Wright. Replacing his phone at his ear, his fingers tightened around it. When he heard that familiar click sound, he sucked in a sharp breath.

* * *

Phoenix had been enjoying a nice glass of grape juice when the Steel Samurai theme suddenly erupted from inside his pocket. Nearly choking, he struggled to set down the glass and rescue his phone from the depths of his pocket at the same time. Blinking, he checked the caller I.D. and his eyes grew three times their size. Was he seeing things or was Edgeworth really calling him? Maybe it was another dream. Nevertheless, he slid the answer button across the screen and brought the phone up to his ear.

At first, there was nothing. Phoenix was confused. Maybe he pocket dialed him? Yeah. That could be the case. Just as he opened his mouth, he heard a familiar cough sound through the phone.

A smooth, semi-professional voice spoke, "Wright. Er.. G-Good morning. You answered rather quickly."

Phoenix couldn't help but laugh, but it was sort of strained and dry. Of course, Edgeworth took notice of it.

"I," he added on, "didn't wake you... did I?"

"Oh, no. Not at all. I've actually been awake for a little while," replied Phoenix quickly.

"...Is that so? That's odd. I thought you were the one to sleep in until the afternoon."

"Eh? W-Well uh... I just thought I should get an early start today!"

"You can't be serious," Edgeworth chuckled, obvious disbelief in his words. "Is Maya even awake?"

_You really do like to pluck all my feathers, don't you Edgeworth? _"Alright, alright. Something startled me so I stayed awake."

Naturally, Edgeworth's interest was piqued. "Something startled you awake? And what was that?"

Suddenly, Phoenix's face felt hot, and he knew he was blushing. There was no way he could tell Edgeworth the real reason, so he had to fake it. But.. What? "It's... It's not important. I think there was a cat fight right outside the apartment or something." Listening to him come up with an excuse made Edgeworth frown. He was hiding yet another thing from him. But instead of pressing matters, he shrugged it off. For now.

"I see," was the prosecutor's response, soft in Phoenix's ear. It made him shiver slightly. He much preferred this tone of voice to the one in his dream by a long shot. He sighed in relief.

"So," Edgeworth continued, "you're probably wondering why I went out of my way to call you."

_Yeah, a little. But I'm pretty sure the answer is pretty much clear without you saying anything._

"Shoot," Phoenix told him, swirling the cup of grape juice in his hand.

"I seem to have gotten ahead of my work and am now faced with a day for which I have nothing to do."

Phoenix's heart began to race. Edgeworth finally had the day off... today. _Today_, today. That meant he could finally speak with him. _Oh.. Oh no. I get to _speak_ with him. Crap, I thought I was ready for this! _

Left to battle with his rambling thoughts, he hadn't noticed how quite he was. Edgeworth coughed.

"Wright?" he pressed, concerned. "Are you still there?"

"Uh, y-yeah. I'm still here. Sorry," he apologized quickly, a nervous laugh escaping his mouth.

"Good. Then I would like to take you up on your proposal."

_Proposal? Whoa, that sounds... weird._ "Huh?" Phoenix blinked.

"Don't tell me even you have forgotten," he sighed in frustration. "Ugh... You told me a few nights ago after our.. dinner meet-up, that you wished to speak with me. Alone. I believe today is as good as any, yes?"

Phoenix was nodding, but he remembered he was on the phone and the prosecutor couldn't exactly see him. So he replied, "Oh uh, yeah. I d-didn't forget! I'm surprised you remembered, Edgeworth. But yeah, today sounds great. Maya's going out so I really have nothing to do either."

"Going out?" asked Edgeworth, surprised.

"Oh, yeah. She's going to pick up Pearls from the train station and they're going to go explore L.A. Well, parts they haven't seen yet. They're meaning to catch up." Phoenix smiled as he spoke, running a thoughtful hand through his spikes.

"Ah. Pearl Fey... I've hardly had the pleasure to be in the presence of her. Though, I suppose that is alright."

"Would you like to see her? Believe it or not, Pearl actually likes you."

"Are you hinting there was once a possibility that she disliked me? That's not very nice, Wright."

Phoenix laughed, and he heard what sounded like a choking noise. _Just laugh, Miles. No one cares._

Chuckling, Phoenix spoke, "Well... I'm not saying anything, but..."

"I guess it would be nice to see her once again," Edgeworth interrupted, "but that is beside the point. May we get back to the matter at hand?"

Phoenix bit his lip softly, thinking on it.

"Oh, right," he started, scratching the back of his head, "I guess we could. Right. Um..."

"Do you have a meeting place in mind?" Edgeworth cut in, as smooth as ever. That left Phoenix to his thoughts.

"...How about People Park?" he asked, tapping his chin.

"Isn't that a bit too, per say, public? I thought this was a private matter?"

"Oh. I guess you're right. Hm. What about... Your office then?"

"My office? I hardly think my office is appropriate."

"Then do you have any ideas?" Phoenix sounded impatient, and possibly a little annoyed. He was frowning.

Edgeworth was silent just for a moment before he spoke again. "...Suppose I don't. My office it is then."

"Alright," he agreed. "I'll show up maybe around noon. I have to make sure Maya doesn't– Oh. I think she just woke up. Uh... I'll talk to you later. See ya, Miles."

Before Edgeworth could even muster a quick "until then", Phoenix had already hung up. He shook his head and smiled a little. _As graceful as ever, Wright. This will prove to be interesting._

* * *

"Mr. Nick!" an excited Pearl cried, running over toward Phoenix after hugging Maya. She jumped up and he caught her, her arms around his neck. Beaming up at him, she laughed.

"Hey, kiddo," he said softly, returning the smile. "You sure are full of energy today."

"Yeah, Pearly!" joined in Maya, standing next to Phoenix and raising an eyebrow. "I've never seen you do _that_ before. What's got you so excited?"

"Oh, I dunno," she replied, that huge grin never faltering. "I just get to spend the whole day with Mystic Maya!" At that Maya smiled widely. Phoenix laughed and set her down on her feet.

"I don't know about that, Pearls. Sometimes, Maya isn't all too exciting."

At that, he earned two pairs of glares. Surely they were supposed to come off as menacing, but it only made him laugh some more. Maya rolled her eyes. "Whatever!" she responded, taking Pearl's hand. "Today is going to be super fun, Pearly. Let's do lots!"

"Yeah!" the little girl agreed, nodding her head. She glanced at Phoenix. "Mr. Nick, are you coming with us?"

"Huh? Me?" he questioned, blinking. "Oh.. Oh, no. I'd love to, but I have something to do today."

"Awe, really?" Pearls shoulders slumped, and Phoenix felt a little bad for her.

He knelt down in front of her, having her sit on his knee. "Tell you what," he whispered, smiling. "I promise to take you to that amusement park not too far from here sometime. Deal?"

She nodded happily. "Deal!"

And with one last hug, Phoenix set the two girls off on their "Day-O-Fey-Fun". Of course, not without Maya robbing him of a few twenties. He really felt the pain of his empty wallet at the hands of a girl. He sighed, walking his own way. Checking the time, he noticed that it was earlier than noon. He shrugged.

_Don't think it matters that I'll be a bit early. Hey, maybe Edgeworth will even praise me for it._

* * *

Edgeworth had been rather bored in his office. He had several people come in to see why he was here, and then leave once they didn't exactly get a straight answer. It had been quite annoying to the prosecutor, and people were so nosy. Maybe he should start locking the door every day. Alas, that would prove to interfere with his work, however.

The prosecutor released a heavy sigh. He had gotten up from his desk, now examining his array of books on the bookshelves. Some were old case files he had been the lead prosecutor of and had stored, others just books he enjoyed and had read several times. Walking to and fro, he began to pace anxiously. And occasionally, he checked his watch. His pacing began to slow to a stop, fortunately, when a knock was heard at his door. He blinked a few times before voicing the command, "Come in."

The door opened slowly, followed by a familiar man holding up a single hand to greet him. All he said was, "Hey."

They stood there for a moment just staring at each other, until the other finally stepped in and closed the door behind him. Edgeworth snapped out of what seemed to be a trance and quickly turned his attention to his feet. He cleared his throat.

"Wright," he began, quickly checking his watch and raising an eyebrow, "you're a little early."

"Yeah," he laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Pearls' train got there earlier than I thought. So I had time to get over here without worry."

"Without worry, hm?" Edgeworth repeated, raising his gaze to his face and he found that his words struck a chord. Phoenix seemed nothing but worried. Consequentially, that made Edgeworth worried too. The room was once again bathed in awkward silence. Shaking his head more to himself than Phoenix, he sighed and made his way over to his desk, sitting in his chair. With a single hand motion told the red sofa, he informed him, "Please. Have a seat." Wearily, Phoenix made for the couch, carefully sitting on the cushions as if they were going to explode underneath him.

Another wave of awkward silence.

"So," started Edgeworth, folding his hands in his lap and steadily watching the other man, "what is it you would like to speak with me again?" He saw Phoenix tense up. _That doesn't seem like a good sign..._

The defense attorney sucked in a sharp breath and sighed heavily, leaning back against the cushions of the sofa. With his eyes fixed on the ceiling instead of Edgeworth, he took a moment to think about what to start with first. To his dismay, anything he started with would either upset him or disgust him. _I don't have much choice with this. Oh well, here goes nothing._

"Um," Phoenix breathed, "I don't know how to put this... I know something you probably don't know."

Edgeworth seemed intrigued. He raised an eyebrow. "Do you now? And what might that be?"

"I... I don't think you're going to like it. You know what, maybe I should just get going. Th-This isn't as important as I thought it–"

"Wright, what is it? You know I am going to figure it out sooner or later, but I'd much rather it be now than later. Please, tell me what this is about. Listening to you is the least I can do for you for all you have done for me."

Phoenix was slightly shocked by his response. Edgeworth was actually willing to listen to him. That's a new one. He shook his head. "I know... But Miles, you really don't want to hear this. It's kind of personal.. and not in a good way either."

Edgeworth didn't look amused. He rose from his chair and folded his arms across his chest in disapproval. When Phoenix noticed he was walking over to him, he started to panic. A pool of sweat began to form on the nape of his neck. This wasn't going as planned. Stopping directly in front of the defense attorney, Edgeworth glared sort of darkly down at him. His friend continued to hide things from him, and he wasn't exactly happy about it either. Phoenix gulped. This was definitely bad. Closing his eyes, he prepared for the worst.

What he didn't expect was the sudden weight next to him on the sofa and a comforting hand on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he turned his head to his right and was met with a concerned Edgeworth. He blinked, taken aback. "Wright, you can speak with me," insisted the other, trying a small smile. "So please, tell me what has been bothering you. It will go unsolved unless you comply and discuss it with someone."

"Edgeworth..." Phoenix whispered, staring at him. He sighed inwardly. Now he really had no choice but to come outright with it. He nodded. "You're right. I'll.. I'll talk."

Triumphantly, Edgeworth nodded. The smile he wore was, in a way, breathtaking, and Phoenix had to direct his attention to his own lap for his own good.

What he said next, he regretted. "The night you called me over when you had that nightmare, I accidentally came across something. Something I had a feeling I wasn't suppose to see."

He glanced at the prosecutor, who was nodding and urging him to continue.

"Well uh.. I sorta.. Read this thing. Er.. Y-your journal or something. Yeah."

Suddenly, all the color was drained from Edgeworth's face. Phoenix instinctively held his hands up in front of him in defense. "I-I swear I read it by accident! It was just–" The other turned away from him, his face in his hands. Blinking, Phoenix was confused. He seemed to be mumbling to himself, but all he could catch was "..I can't believe.." and "..is ruined..". When Phoenix opened his mouth, Edgeworth interrupted him.

"How," he began, "much did you read?"

He was silent for a second. "O-only the first page."

He swore he heard a frustrated, yet relieved sigh. Edgeworth slowly sat up straight. "Note self: I must burn that forsaken journal before anyone else sees it." He glanced at Phoenix, not able to hold his gaze, and ran hand through his silver hair. "...I only presume you want to laugh at me now. It's... understandable. So, go ahead. Laugh."

Phoenix furrowed his brow. "Like hell I'm going to laugh at you."

Surprised, the man whipped his head around to look at the defense. The obvious embarrassment and pain and confusion was easy to read on his face. "I... I don't understand. I thought you would make fun of me."

Phoenix shook his head, his eyes still focused on his face. He was glad this didn't go exactly like his dream.

"This is... quite unexpected." He turned away, the awkward silence from earlier returning. Though, it looked as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It made Phoenix smile a bit. Edgeworth coughed.

"Is... Is that all?" he added, slowly standing from the sofa. Phoenix was quick to react. Without thinking, he reached out and took a hold on Edgeworth's hand, causing the man to jump. The pink-faced prosecutor looked to him in surprise, his face asking an inaudible but obvious question. Phoenix grinned.

_Yeah, this feeling is definitely familiar, _he thought, pulling Edgeworth back down onto the sofa with him. _This really is what I felt back then in college. This feeling... is nice._

* * *

**AN:**Ah. This chapter was hard to write. I didn't know how to end it so the end is kind of.. blech. Anyhow, I'm sorry if it sounds like it's moving too fast. My brain is crazy for Phoenix/Edgeworth and my fingers are obeying it. All things considered, though, this chapter was okay. Not my favorite, but definitely not my least favorite. :) We're finally getting somewhere with the babies! *cheers and throws confetti* Whoooooooop! xD I hope you guys enjoyed it, because happy readers make a very happy writer. 3


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